Beyond the Event Horizon
by Keiichi Loire
Summary: I changed the title, yay. I was planning on a Lord Blazer fic, but this one goes more and more offtopic by the chapter... :P
1. A Traveler

The red light of sunset is upon the little hamlet as the young man enters it. He walks the abandoned dirt streets with a growing curiosity, passing the windows of shingle-roofed bungalows with undisturbed ease. A hot wind blows, remnant of the day, and some tumbleweed roll by, but otherwise he encounters nothing in the obviously populated town. He shakes his head in puzzlement and makes his way to the inn at the edge of the square.

He is a boy in his late teens, slightly shorter than average, with dark blue eyes which shine with vitality, yet seem to conceal a deep pool of sadness behind that light. His bushy brown hair falls in three prominent spikes over half of his forehead, their tips brushing against his left eyebrow and partially obscuring one eye. The orange turtleneck he's wearing is covered in dust, as is the white jacket he has tied around his waist, the faded insignia sewn on the back threadbare and almost coming off. Likewise, his monster-hide pants and hiking boots show signs of heavy travel. A large twin-hilted broadsword is sheathed at his left hip; he carries it effortlessly despite his moderate frame. He pushes open the inn's saloon-style double doors, and is greeted by the owner, a clean-shaven man wearing an unexpectedly clean apron. "Welcome to Mekiv's tavern and inn, I'm Mekiv. What can I do for you, stranger?"

"The name's Allion. I'm looking for a place to stay the night."

"Then you've come to the right place." Mekiv casts an appraising glance over the young man. "Are you a Merc?"

"I'd prefer the term _Dream Chaser_." Allion corrects. He seats himself at the long counter of Mekiv's bar, looking around and noting that the room is empty, floor spotless and chairs still upturned on their tables as if the business day had yet to begin. "No customers today, neighbor?"

"None since the Mist Monster appeared." Mekiv confirms sadly, pouring Allion a mug of cider out of habit. "They've all shut themselves in their houses afraid to be eaten. The only customer I get these days is that die-hard alcoholic Jim from the other side of town."

Allion's eyes light up with interest. "This monster-- is it strong?"

Mekiv shrugs. "Nobody's ever seen it. It comes after sundown, hidden in the mysterious mist that's been appearing every night after it came. All I know is, anyone that goes out in the streets at night, even the Mercs I sent out after it, never return alive."

"That's impressive." Allion comments after a big gulp. He turns his head to check the light outside. It is nearly dark: the last vestiges of sunlight are filtering out of the sky.

"You aren't planning on going out there, are you?" Mekiv says, concerned.

"It's a good night for a walk under the stars. A good night to chase dreams."

"Dreams! What is your dream anyway, that it drives you to do the insane?"

Allion chuckles darkly as he stands up. "Do you really want to know?"

_Death._

_I've been chasing it from one end of the planet to the other, and still it escapes me. A way to die; the creature strong enough to end my life and bring to a halt all the suffering living has for me. This is why I left the Peacekeepers. This is why I became a Merc, to run in the field of dreams._

As the boy turns to leave, the innkeeper lays eyes on the symbol stitched on Allion's jacket. "...A Peacekeeper?" he mouths in quiet wonder.

Allion patrols the town, ears intent for the least sign of noise. But all he hears in the all-encompassing silence is his own footsteps, until late in the night, when he stops to rest at the fountain in the middle of town square, hoping for a drink but finding only a stagnant pool overgrown with duckweed.

"Diz fountain uzedta pray clear water in the old days…" A drunken voice sputters then drifts off into gibberish. Allion turns around to come across Jim, who hadn't seen him. _Is that so? I'll fix it in the morning._

Jim stands up on the elevated edge of the pool. "Hic! Heh, I think I'll do a little spraying m'self…"

The young man's eyes widen as Jim pulls down his pants. "HEY!"

Allion rushes to the man and grabs him by the scruff of his neck, roughly pulling him down to the cobblestone square. "Stop that. I was going to fix I in the morning."

"Eh?" Jim looks up to Allion's face. Then his eyes go wide and his expression becomes one of shocked fear. "Ahh! Mist Monster!"

"Come on, my face isn't that bad." Allion pouts.

"No! Behind you! Mist Monster!" The drunk points to a space behind Allion's back.

"What!" Allion whirls around and leaps back, narrowly dodging a piercing spiked tail. He turns to the drunk, who'd apparently wet his pants. "Hey you! Are you all right?"

"W-w-w-w-whoa! I'm going home!" Jim stands up and runs away at a speed not likely for a drunk. The Mist Monster tries to follow him, but is stopped by a sound blow to its scale-armored neck. "Hey ugly! You're fighting me!" Allion shouts, arms spread wide.

The monster bellows in anger. Allion takes advantage of the moment and gathers force. He traces a symbol of power with his left hand while holding his sword firmly in his right. A powerful wind blows, clearing the mist from the square, and a shining pentagram forms on the ground around him. The pentagram rises from the ground and breaks into pieces, which scatter and vanish.

Now the Mist Monster could be seen. It is a turtle-like thing with a flattish, elliptical shell that is covered in glowing mushrooms, a long, thick, scaly neck terminating in a triangular head, showing glowing red eyes and a cavernous mouth with razor-sharp fangs and a tongue that flicks in and out like a serpent's. The monster has a long, spiked tail used for stabbing at the enemy or like a thorned whip, and walks on four elephantine legs encrusted in barnacles.

Allion shifts into a fighting stance, holding his sword in both hands. Taking a moment to think, he plans his attack. _I can go for either the tail or the head. If I take out the head it dies, but if I get the tail first I'll probably have less trouble. But, if I figure my technique right I'll be able to hit both._

In the meantime, the turtle is not waiting. It breathes a blast of high-pressure acid mist on him, knocking Allion back into the fountain and out of breath. The acid burns into the young man's skin and clothing, as well as his sword. He grits his teeth against the pain, and stands up despite extensive injury. "You'll pay for that." He executes a perfect running slash which passes through the length of the monster's neck to its tail, ripping through the mushrooms but leaving nary a scratch. "Damn, it got blunted!" Allion gestures again, calling the power of lightning. "Purple Electric!" And a huge bolt sizzles the turtle. It roars in pain, and the mushrooms burst aflame.

But its attacks become more menacing than ever. It uses its tail to scoop up and throw flaming mushroom bombs that spread poisonous spores where they explode.

Allion weaves a spell that takes moisture from the air and forcibly dumps it over his opponent. The bombs are put out, but the creature actually seems to _enjoy_ it. Allion narrowly dodges a fierce bite.

_What does it take to kill this thing? Is it finally the demon that kills me?_

As he reaches into his jacket's left pocket for a Heal Berry, being chased all along by a stream of mist breath while he runs around the monster, his fingers brush against a concealed weapon.

_Energy Crystal ARM. This bullet's a chip off the Argetlahm. But it never worked, no matter how--_ The turtle stabs with its tail, forcing him to jump to the side. It hits the wall of a small house, which is promptly demolished. Allion catches a glimpse of the family of three quavering inside, praying desperately for safety. _People. I forgot about them_. The weapon starts shaking, resonating with the force of a wish… _I-It's active!_

He draws the ARM out and aims it at the giant turtle. Then he pulls the trigger and sends the energy shot flying. Faster than anything, it buries itself in the monster's shell. The monster screams, a piercing death cry, before succumbing to the earth. The young man is left to heal himself as the effects of his original spell wane and the mist monster dissipates, becoming one with the mist that was once its slave.

The fog eventually clears. The stars shine through. The moon has set, but the sky is unimaginably beautiful.

The townspeople venture out of their houses and find a young man sitting at the edge of a water fountain, which is spurting clear water into a small pond overgrown with duckweed. He is staring at the small area of mist remaining, waiting for it to clear out. He stands expectantly as the last of it vanishes, but instead of treasure he finds a human boy lying naked there, still breathing but not quite alive. The women gasp while Allion throws his jacket over the still form and makes gestures over him, casting a healing spell. Then he takes the boy in his arms and carries him to the inn.

"The poor boy. He must have been one of those youngsters the Mist Monster ate!"

"But he's not from this town. I wonder who he is?"

"Forget about him! Have you ever heard of that Allion? He took on that monster alone-- and won!"

"He's got the Peacekeepers' sign on his jacket. Maybe General Eleazar sent him."

"But aren't Peacekeepers knights? Don't they wear armor?"

"Some of the old Peacekeepers left and became Mercs at the end of the war. Maybe he's one of them."

"Maybe he's a fake!"

"Fake or not, he's better than a Peacekeeper! He's a hero!"

Talk is brimming in the tavern, and drinks are going around faster than a sleepy Mekiv could pour them. Allion is not among the townspeople, but up in one of the inn's rooms, watching the boy as he slept. He fiddles with his ARM's clip to look at the fateful shell, but it is gone.


	2. The Summons

Warm rays of sunshine wake Allion from deep slumber. "What… what time is it?" he says to nobody in particular as he realizes he'd fallen asleep sitting down.

"Around ten in the morning, I'd say." a boyish voice answers, and it cracks at the last word. Allion looks to the window, where the voice is coming from. The boy from last night had drawn the curtains and that had been what woke Allion up. (The boy had been given clothes borrowed from Mekiv's youngest son the night before, and so isn't naked.) He backs away from the window to sit on the bed, his face buried in thought.

Allion considers the boy. He is about thirteen, and has the posture of a gentleman. He wears a simple white shirt, brown trousers, and well-worn walking shoes, plain but tough enough to travel in. Mrs. Mekiv had added a kerchief for a flourish. His dust brown hair falls in loose strands over gray eyes, which display an undertone of red. He has hints of a square chin and a fine nose under the baby fat, which has not completely diminished and keeps his face more childlike. He has a refined air about him, and his hands betray no calluses of hard work or sword training. He is simply a boy, most likely a noble's son.

He drops down suddenly, sending a shudder through the bed. He breathes out a whistle, stretching his legs to the floor. He lies there, like that, but says nothing else.

There is a loud rap on the door. Mekiv enters. "We received an empathite pigeon message early this morning." He holds out a wax-sealed envelope affixed with the Raid family seal, "A letter addressed to a Mr. Allion Raid."

"…" Allion takes the letter, biting back the wince that threatened when he heard his surname said aloud. He opens the letter and reads it quietly.

_Dear Allion,_

_I trust that you are in good health, and have yet to find the object of your journey if you are reading this letter._

_I am writing to you because I might have found you a lead that will help you on your quest. Please come home immediately._

_Your brother,_

_Eleazar_

Allion returns the letter into its envelope and pockets it. "Eleazar…"

"I'd never have thought he would be the General's own brother! To think he'd send such a knight to this small village…"

"He's good enough to match up to Sir Eleazar, that's for sure."

There is a pleasant buzz in the tavern that morning. Allion, Mekiv, and the boy are greeted by a whole village celebrating the defeat of the Mist Monster. They bombard Allion with random questions, like "How are things at the Capital?" or "Tell us how you defeated the monster!" and "Do you have a girlfriend?" Allion flushes slightly. "Really, there's no need to fuss."

"Don't worry about them, they're always looking for the slightest reason to party down." Mekiv goes to the counter and starts swilling ale with a group of middle-aged men, Jim included. Jim is telling the men of his chivalrous role in the battle with the Mist Monster. Of course, nobody believes him, but it's all in fun. Allion takes a place near the door, and waves when the boy passes by looking for a table to eat a large slice of carrot cake.

"Hey. How are you feeling?"

The boy blanches ever so slightly, eating the cake. He is using a fork, taking off small pieces and chewing politely. He swallows. "I'm feeling well, thank you." He then divides his cake and nudges one piece to Allion. "Would you like some?" Allion smiles, realizing how hungry he is. "Yeah, but I'll get my own." Allion leaves the table for a bit, gets sidetracked by a group of girls waving at him to come and talk, then comes back with a generous helping of chocolate mousse. When he returns, the boy hasn't touched the rest of the cake. He only continues eating when Allion himself begins. "So, what's your name?" Allion says a tad uneasily over eating with a kid who has better manners like he does. The boy swallows before answering. "My name is Raymond." He picks up another piece of cake and chews on it. Allion could feel his upper back stiffening. He didn't like formalities, not too much. It reminded him too much about… /home/. His expression darkens slightly at the thought. "Is something the matter, Mr. Raid?" Raymond asks innocently. Allion returns to his smile. "No, nothing. I was thinking of the mission." he answers. Continuing, he says, "So tell me, Raymond. What are you planning to do now? You have a home to go back to?" Then it's Raymond's turn to avoid eye contact. "…Maybe." Allion knows better than to prod.

"Anyway, if you'd like, you could come with me for a bit." Allion says. "I'm headed to Meria like my brother asked. If you're going the same way, we could travel together." Raymond pauses, chewing on his cake thoughtfully and then answering, "Yes, I'd like that." Allion nods. "Okay, it's decided, then." They finish their cake in silence, then Allion stands, and Raymond follows. "Come on, it's a long walk to Meria."


	3. The Mist Monster

They arrive in Damzen late in the afternoon. Allion heads to the inn, but Raymond stops at the gate. "I… I want to take a walk. I need some fresh air." Allion raises an eyebrow and cocks his head. "We've been walking all day, and you still haven't gotten enough fresh air?" Raymond shifts uneasily and says, "Yes, that's right." Allion shrugs and walks off. "All right. I'll have a bed and a hot meal waiting for you at the inn. See you later, Raymond."

Raymond does not return that night. Come morning, an old man who had gone hunting for mushrooms bursts into the inn clamoring about a turtle monster blocking the gate. Allion diverts his attention from a mug of hot chocolate and a plate of hotcakes to him. Listening to his description, Allion thinks, it sounds a lot like the Mist Monster he'd fought…

It is. The sheriff and his men had set up a barricade at the gate, and are showering the thing with bullets, to no effect. The monster had simply retreated into its shell, leaving the bullets to bounce away harmlessly. Allion walks up to right behind the barricade, to get a closer look at it. It looks different, somehow. It almost looks… tame.

"Hey! Get back! This ain't no place for spectators!" The sheriff roughly pushes the Dream Chaser away. Allion steps back, but doesn't retreat. "Wow, that's some strong armor-- or some pathetic ammo you got." He says smoothly.

"What did you say!" The sheriff growls. His hand reaches for his gun. Allion doesn't flinch. "How about, 1000 gella says that I can take that thing on single-handed?"

The sheriff snorts. "You're nuts!" Allion shrugs indifferently. "That's all right." He says, with the air of someone knowing it was inevitable. "You can wait until someone hires me."

_They're shooting at me,_ he thinks, listening to the pattering of bullets which to him inside, sounded strangely like rain. _They want to kill me. Like he did. Like everyone does_. He peeks out of the shell the slightest bit. A bullet catches him in the nose. He pulls his face back immediately. He'd have cried in pain if he could. He's have wiped the blood off and taken the bullet out. But, without hands, how could he do that? He picks at the wound with his tail, but spikes don't do much compared to fingers. He whimpers a little. Picking at bullet wounds hurt, he decides. _I wish they'd stop._

He remembers parting with him at the gate. He remembers taking a walk around town. He remembers the sun setting, and it getting very dark. He remembers getting lost. He couldn't find the inn. He remembers, finally, going back to the gate and falling asleep there. Surely he'd find him in the morning.

What he doesn't remember, is ending up like this. Again.

He takes a peek out of his shell. _Will he have to shoot me again?_

He winces at the memory_. Yes, I remember. He probably thinks otherwise, but I do. I remember that blinding light and the paralyzing pain that came with it. The pain-- it's so real, so real--!_

The sheriff finally relents, and orders his men to stop shooting. Allion readies his gear and walks up to the turtle. Suddenly, a thick mist shoots out of the shell and the turtle emits a deafening roar from within the cloud. _Maybe it's not as tame as I thought…! _Quick as a shadow, Allion darts into the fog, dodging from side to side against imagined attacks. _That's strange. _ he wonders after a while, _I should have found it by now. _Then he bumps into something. But it's not the Mist Monster.

"Raymond?"

"Side… It hurts…" the boy moans, and falls into his arms. Allion feels for an injury, finds blood. Allion casts a healing spell over him. Raymond has his eyes closed, and is mumbling, but Allion could hear. "It's all right. I forgive you." The boy says as the spell closes and heals the wound. "What?" Allion says, not understanding. Raymond gently pushes away, standing up on his own. He clasps Allion's hand and closes it over something. "I forgive you." He repeats, more strongly, then unsteadily walks away.

"Eh? Where did the turtle go?" the sheriff asks when the mist disappears.

"Gone." Raymond says weakly as he passes. "The Merc there defeated it."

"You need to lie down, sonnee." The old man takes his arm and leads him away.

"…Huh?" Allion watches them go off, then opens his fist.

In his hand, is a chip of the Argetlahm.


	4. Turtle Soup for the Soul

The old man leads Raymond to a tired old shack near the edge of town. Inside, the walls are almost covered by a myriad of unusually patterned turtle shells, but Raymond's too tired to mind. He collapses on a hard pallet on the dirt floor while the old man makes breakfast. Soon, the delicious aroma of cream of mushroom soup bids the boy to rise. "That smells good."

"Eet ees! Weel you try some?" The old man then shoves a bowl of the rich thick soup into his hands. Raymond nods his thanks, then hungrily wolfs it down. He didn't realize that he was so hungry, he thinks as he asks for another helping.

After his third serving, he pushes his bowl away politely and sits back to digest. He finally notices that the old man hadn't so much as touched the soup. But before he could voice the question the old man asks it. "Do you know why I peeck mushrooms, sonnee?"

"No sir. I don't." Raymond shakes his head. He gets a sinking feeling in his stomach, and his face is showing it. The old man gives him a gap-toothed grin. "Beecause I need mushrooms for thee special sauce that makes peeple into turtles! And I love turtle soup!"

"Aack!" Raymond drops his spoon. He is already beginning to change. "Grandfather, you had better get out of here while you still can…!" and he can't hold it anymore. The floor cracks, the furniture breaks, the walls buckle and splinter as the Mist Monster stands in Raymond's place. "I'M SORRY…"

Back at the inn, Allion is pondering over the chip of the Argetlahm when he hears a loud crash. "What in blazes was that?!" the sheriff exclaims. Allion joins him outside the inn just in time to see the Mist Monster arch its neck back to face the old man and bellow, "I'M SORRY."

The young man scratches the back of his head, and remarks, "So, does this happen everyday?" The sheriff looks at him, then chuckles nervously. "Looks like the old witch doctor's gotten a taste of his own medicine."

Allion stares silently at the monster for a while, then goes confidently to his friend. "…I think we'd better get out of here before more trouble starts."

"…YEAH." Raymond agrees in the softest tone he can muster, which is like an overloud whisper. Mist comes out of his mouth, spraying in Allion's face.

"Well then let's go. Meria is east of here, past the tunnel." Allion turns to the witch doctor, "Unless you'd want to keep him?"

The witch doctor edges away slowly. "Eee, hee hee… I theenk I'll let yee take heem off my hands."

Allion and the monster then trample out of town. "You really ought to learn how to control that soon."

"I KNOW."

"Oh, man, I didn't mean it that way. Lighten up, will ya?"

"......"

The pair continues on towards the underground tunnel to Meria, Under Traffic. Allion speeds up his pace, hastening to keep up with Raymond's longer stride. When the Mist Turtle notices this and asks him if he wanted to ride, Allion smiles and politely refuses. He asks Raymond to help out when they encounter some monsters, though. With them working together, they make quick time and soon stop at the entrance of Under Traffic for lunch at a pastry stand.

"Hi, miss! You're looking sweeter today." Allion greets the lady clerk, grinning widely. 

"Oh, stop that." She answers irritably. Then her expression softens at the sight of the depressed Mist Turtle. "There now. You look so sad. What's got you down?" She reaches out to pat Raymond's head, then, "Oh, I know what will cheer you up! Here, five jelly rolls. Don't worry about it, it's free." She picks out five huge jelly rolls, then hand them to Raymond in a paper bag. "Sorry but I can't hand-fed them to you, cutie."

Allion looks downcast. "What, no free lunch for me?" He dejectedly points a finger at himself.

"Humans like you will have to pay full price."

Raymond chuckles. "TOO BAD YOU'RE NOT AS CUTE AS ME, ALLION."

Allion smirks and rubs his nose. "We'll see how I do against you when we get to Meria." And then he laughs. He buys some sesame seed buns, eats them while Raymond devours his jelly rolls, then tells him, "Let's move on."

"OKAY." In better spirits than before, Raymond follows Allion into the tunnel.

Some areas of the tunnel are too small for the Mist turtle to pass through, which would force Raymond to revert back to human form. When they reach the first of these places, Allion broods that that trying it could kill Raymond, but Raymond dismisses it with a wave of a tail. "I CAN DO IT." He says. "I KNOW THERE IS A WAY TO CHANGE BACK WITHOUT ANY PAIN."

"All right. If anything happens, I'm here for you."

"…THANKS."

Raymond surrounds himself with mist and retreats into his shell. It gives him a sense of quiet, so that he could even hear his own heartbeats. He sinks into thinking how he could return to his human self.

"Hey, this could work." Raymond hears Allion say. He feels his shell scraping on the ground, inching across the narrow part of the tunnel to the more spacious area on the other side. He lets his head out, sees Allion struggling to push his shell the distance. Raymond sees a subtle red aura around the dream Chaser; He'd used magic to augment his strength. But even so, he was straining. "Raymond, you just stay in your shell and take your time figuring out how to change back. You just… (umph!)… leave the pushing to me."

"ALLION, BUT--"

"Oof! You're heavy. Maybe you shouldn't have eaten so many jelly rolls."

The lack of muscles on a turtle's face makes it hard to smile. But that didn't stop one from smiling inwardly, Raymond thinks fondly as he retracts his head back into his shell.

__

...Thank you. Raymond recalls the night of the fight between them, when he was still, roaming wild. _Because, you never blamed me. _He remembers how he felt when the life was draining out of him, and the light touch of Allion's healing spell and the gentleness in his arms. _You know what? Whenever you do a thing like that... _He rushes by the events of that morning, up to the present, _...I can see your human heart._

Allion momentarily loses his balance when Raymond's shell becomes immaterial. When he comes to his feet, the human Raymond is standing in front of him. He's smiling, the peaceful kind of smile that one gets from pure joy, and which passes that joy to everyone else. "Thank you."

And yet again, Allion is puzzled. "Huh?" But Raymond only repeats what he said, and continues down the tunnel ahead of him.

The rest of the trip through Under Traffic passes without incident, until near the end of the tunnel, Allion suddenly stops and turns around. "Hey, Raymond. Turn into a monster."

"Hm? Why?'

"So you can go through without any trouble. We'll just pretend that you're my pet or something."

"…I resent that."

"Okay, I'll remember to tell them. From now on you'll be my _partner_."

Raymond's tone changes from an angry grumble to something akin to wonder. "Really? Do you mean that?"

"Yeah. You've proven that you can hold your own in a fight and you can take care of yourself even without my help. To me, that mans that I don't need to worry about you anymore. But that doesn't mean there won't be times when you'll need my help, or I'll need yours. So, partners?" Allion extends his hand, and Raymond shakes it firmly. "Yeah!"

"All right then, partner, I'll need you to turn into a monster now."

As expected, two Peacekeepers stop their progress at the mouth of the tunnel. "Passport, please."

"Sure, here you go." Allion hands his passport over. One of the guards examines it carefully, then returns it to Allion. He asks, "You're traveling with that thing?" pointing to Raymond.

"Yeah." Allion answers. 

"That's one hell of a pet you've got. Is it tame?"

"He's my partner." Allion corrects. "And he doesn't take too kindly to being called a pet."

The guard doesn't flinch. "You'll need to sign a waiver taking responsibility for your partner. We can't have it wreaking havoc all over the city." The Peacekeeper fetches a logbook from the guardhouse. "Just a formality, of course."

"Right." Allion opens it to a blank page, and fills in the waiver. "I, Allion Raid, hereby take responsibility for the actions that have been and might be committed, blah, blah, blah…" He signs in the logbook and hands it back. "There you go."

The Peacekeeper affixes the dry seal of Meria Boule on the page, then salutes to them. "Welcome to Meria."


	5. Homecoming

The city of Meria, capital of the Kingdom of Meria Boule. Thick walls enclose its castle and the surrounding town. Cobblestone streets and stone houses greet them as the wooden gates open to let them in. A bustling atmosphere permeates the business district just inside the gate, and people busily walk to and fro in the afternoon sun. Raymond looks around as he follows Allion in, a wistful expession on his face. Allion heaves a resigned sigh. Meria could be called his hometown, but he has very few good memories here. He pushes the feeling away and asks Raymond, "Is this your first time here?"

Raymond bows his head with a pained look on his face. "No, actually--" He's interrupted by a voice calling his name.

"Raymond? Raymond Lorraine?" it asks. Allion and Raymond around to see a young man just entering into manhood. He's wearing the uniform of a town guard, and although his deep baritone isn't familiar, Raymond seems to remember his face from somewhere. "Yes. Have we met before?" he says. Suddenly he remembers the person and his eyes widen.

"It _is_ you!" his childhood friend says in wonder. "But, that's not possible... You look the same as you did three years ago!"

"..." Raymond bows his head and lets his shoulders slump. "I'm sorry, Vince..." he says, "But it's hard to explain."

Vince is instantly apologetic. "I didn't mean anything bad by that, Ray... I mean... three years ago... I-I'm sorry I brought it up." he finishes sheepishly, bowing his head in contrition.

"No, it's alright." Raymond says gently, but his tone is flat. "Allion..." he says in a monotone, "Why don't you go ahead? I'd like to catch up a little with Vince."

"Sure thing." Allion says, inwardly glad to be out of an awkward situation but trying hard not to show it. "I'll be at Valeria Chateau if you need me. Just drop by if you need anything." With a friendly salute, he walks away.

_So, he lives here_. Allion muses. _I wonder why he didn't tell me?_ But he shrugs it off. He could ask later. If he would ask at all. Anyway, it was none of his business.

He goes to the bakery, opens the chiming door, and asks the lady at the counter, "Is Irving home?"

Altaecia Winchester looks up from the accounting and is pleasantly surprised. It's been a long time since she saw this familiar face. But then again, he was never in Meria for very long. Sometimes he didn't even stop by. "Oh, Allion! How long has it been since your last visit?"

"Not long enough, I suppose." Allion smiles and goes to the counter to clasp her hand. "Not much has changed."

But _he_ had changed. He always changed, every time he visited. He was taller now. His muscles were tighter, and his hand was rough, since he'd been constantly using his sword. His clothes looked worn. His jacket was _old_. Altaecia never could understand why he kept it. He dressed warmly enough. _Maybe_, she thinks, _it's a link to home._

"Have you visited Eleazar?" She shows him to a seat, and pours them each some tea. She was going to have some anyway. The sign hanging on the door says, Afternoon Break. She'd left the door unlocked for Irving, but he never seemed to come anymore. Allion suddenly arriving was a welcome surprise.

"No, I'll see him when he's off duty."

"I see. And, did you go home yet?"

Allion's cheerful face turns dark briefly. "...I don't have any business there."

"...Oh." Altaecia is a bit disappointed. "Well, you should find some time to say hello to your father now and then."

Allion mutters to himself, _You can't expect to understand why it hurts me so much to even see him..._

"Irving said he was going to the Argetlahm's shrine." Altaecia says finally.

"Thank you." Allion gets up to go.

"Oh, do take these to him." Altaecia gives him a brown paper bag filled with jelly rolls. Irving had been gone all day, and had forgotten to bring something to eat. He hadn't been eating right, recently. Something seemed to occupy him. But then again, something always seemed to occupy Irving. Altaecia inwardly sighs.

"I will." Allion says. With a smile and a wave, he leaves.

The shrine is a grandiose structure, built on a low hill just outside the town, solely to house the grave of Irving and Altaecia Valeria and, most importantly, the holy sword Argetlahm. Every year, on the brother and sister's death anniversary, people from all over Filgaia flock to pay their respects. But whether to the siblings, to the sword, or both, is open to debate.

Under a tree on the far side of the hill, away from the crowd, stands the shadowy figure of a man.

"It's become some sort of a cult symbol." He muses quietly. "But, it has always been this way. People flock to and worship the symbol of a 'hero'. It is simply the way of we humans. "He takes a few steps to expose himself to the light, the better to look over the crowd. He is tall, with very light gray-blue hair, easily mistaken for white, with a dull shimmer. He dresses rather formally for someone Allion's age, carrying a walking stick and keeping a small pistol tastefully half-hidden in his coat. His face is hard-set, capable of harshness, and yet, gentle grace. His dark eyes are midnight blue. "In any case, this setup is perfect for the experiment."

Allion makes his way through the sea of people, looking for Irving or a vantage point to spot him from. "Knowing him, he's probably pretty near the Argetlahm, or way outside the crowd."

Suddenly a stampede breaks out. A horde of terrified people all rush past Allion, threatening to trample him. He pushes against the flow, trying to get to the source of the panic. "What's going on!" He yells at the nearest person.

Instead of answering, the man begins to morph into a hideous caricature of a monster. "WHAT'S HAPPENING TO ME!" Then he goes berserk. Allion reaches for his sword to defend himself, but finds that it had been absorbed by a quickly spreading carapace…


	6. Unchanging Sin

"It... really _is_ you, isn't it?" Vince asks from across the table. He and Vince had settled at a sidewalk cafe to talk over a cup of tea. "...I thought-- everyone thought you died when that prisoner ship sank three years ago. They said there were no survivors."

"...Perhaps I did." Raymond says, talking to his teacup.

"And now you suddenly reappear, looking the same as you did the day they took you away!" Vince says, apparently still trying to reconcile the fact with his rational mind.

"...It seems so." Raymond agrees, still focused on his tea. "I can't remember what happened in the past few years very well. Between... the ship to Illsveil and when Allion found me." He suddenly looks at Vince with an intense look on his face. "Tell me, has it really been three years?"

Vince answers sadly, "I wish I could say it wasn't so, but you only need look at me to see it." he toys with his teacup, swilling its contents. Then he downs it all in one gulp. He reaches for the pot, but Raymond beats him to it and refills his cup for him. "Three years..."

"I'm sor--" Vince starts apologizing again, but is cut short by Raymond's smile. It is at once forgiving, consoling, and deeply sad. "...Have my family's graves been taken care of?" Raymond asks quietly.

"Ray..." Vince averts his eyes. "Nobody knows where they're buried."

"I see..." Raymond says, again lowering his head.

"If you don't mind me asking... what exactly happened three years ago?" Vince says. "To Mr. Alsace, to your whole family, to you... we all know what came of it, but nobody knows what it was all for. They called you heretics, but they never told us why. The Church won't say a damn thing." Vince gulps down his tea in frustration. "They were all good people, your family. I don't like the way the Cardinal runs things. And I'm not alone, either. If it weren't for Sir Eleazar..."

"Vincent." Raymond cuts him off sharply, and Vince pales suddenly, just realizing what he had been saying. Raymond surreptitiously looks from side to side to see if anyone had been listening. The scene on the street continues as normal, but he couldn't tell if the Cardinal's Inquisitors had witnessed his friend's outburst. He speaks calmly, trying to hide his nervousness. Vince had just reminded him that he is, more or less, a fugitive. Being near him endangered Vince, too. "...I'm afraid I can't talk about those things right now. These three years didn't exist for me, Vince. I still feel as though I lost them all yesterday." Raymond would have said the same thing even if it weren't true, but it is of little comfort to him that it is. "I should leave. Please forget you ever saw me. Please, for your own sake."

"Ray." Vince says as Raymond rises, "You're not alone. I want you to know that."

"Thank you." Raymond says, sincerely. "It means a lot."

Vince remains seated, watching Raymond's retreating back until it melts into the crowd. Then, remembering that he should be elsewhere, hurries to return to his post.


End file.
